You must understand that our school-room was on the ground-floor, but
raised a good way from the ground; a separate room built out from the
house, the roof sloping out under the windows of the day-nursery.

[Illustration: GIVE US A COPPER!]

The first thing we thought of was calling the little ones to hear the
music; but when I proposed it, Alick said he was sure they knew all
about it, he could hear their voices. Lottie declared that that was
impossible; we never heard anything from the nursery unless the window
was open. Just then the men began to beg, and Alick ran off to get some
pence. Grandmamma said they were to have a cup of the servants' tea, and
Alick went to the kitchen to ask for it. When he came back, he told us
that Susette was down there getting baby's supper, and that Jane was
teazing her about her "brothers the players!"

"Oh, Alick!" cried Lottie, "then that's it! Murray and Bertie have got
the window open to hear better, and in all this fog and wet!"

Alick was just going to laugh at her for being such an "old fidget,"
when we were startled by a loud cry, and the sound of something falling
down the roof. At the same moment we saw Harry rushing up to the
house--he was just home from his lessons at the curate's--throwing his
arms about in the most excited way.

"Oh, it's Murray tumbled out of window?" cried Lottie. And away we all
rushed to the front door, feeling sick with fear.

Now, up the side of the wall grew a very thick, bushy fig-tree, the stem